Ragunan Zoo

Ragunan Zoo (Indonesian: Kebun Binatang Ragunan) is a zoo located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The zoo has a land area of 140-hectare (350-acre). The zoo has an aviary and included a primate centre, and employs over 450 people.[2] Many of the animals are endangered and threatened from all parts of Indonesia and the rest of the world.[3] There are a total of 3,122 animal specimens including birds.[4] Laid out in a lush tropical setting, rare animals such as crocodile, gorilla, orangutan, tapir, anoa, sumatran tiger, babirusa and peacocks are given ample room. The zoo is located in South Jakarta and is easily accessible through the Jakarta Outer Ring Road and TransJakarta Corridor 6 bus (grey color).[5]

Ragunan Zoo
Front gate of the Ragunan Zoo
Date opened1864 (original)
22 June 1966 (current location)
LocationPasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia
Coordinates6.3115875°S 106.8199182°E / -6.3115875; 106.8199182
Land area140 ha (350 acres)
No. of animals3,122
No. of species270
MembershipsWAZA[1]
Websitehttps://ragunanzoo.jakarta.go.id/

Ragunan Zoo is more than 156 years old.[6] It is the oldest zoo in Indonesia.

History
The first zoo of Batavia (Jakarta) located in Cikini area

The zoo was established in 1864 by a Dutch East Indies flora and fauna lovers organization, the Vereneging Planten en Dierentuin of Batavia. Raden Saleh, a prominent Indonesian painter in the 19th century, donated about 10 hectares (25 acres) of his land for the establishment of Batavia first zoo in the Cikini area of Central Jakarta.[5] The zoo moved to its present location in 1966, and was officially opened on 22 June 1966, managed by the city administration. The former location was turned into the Taman Ismail Marzuki performing art center and Jakarta Art Institute.

On 19 September 2005, following the order of the city's governor, the zoo was closed temporarily for about three weeks after various birds were found to have contracted avian influenza.[7] It reopened on October 11.

On January 1, 2015 Ragunan Zoo was visited by 186,456 visitors, the highest among the New Year days, the previous highest record was about 175,000 visitors on January 1, 2011.[8]

In 2015, Ragunan Zoo will receive Rp.301 billion from the local government for subsity. Previous budget can use for operational costs only, but initial 2015, the budget is also sufficient to improve welfare of the animals. In 2018, Ragunan Zoo is predicted to be the international standard for zoos, with the hiring of experts to improve the welfare of the animals, improving quality of the enclosures, and improving facilities for visitors.[9]

The Schmutzer Primate Centre
The Schmutzer Primate Centre, Jakarta

The Schmutzer Primate Centre was opened in 2002, within the Ragunan Zoo but privately funded and managed separately. It is one of the largest of such centers in the world. The 13-hectare (32-acre) special enclosure houses various primates, including gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. The center was named after the late Pauline Antoinette Schmutzer, who donated her estate to the center.[5] Dr Willie Smits of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation designed the orangutan enclosure so that the orangutans have as natural an environment as possible. Thick dark glass allows visitors to see the orangutans while being invisible to them.

Exhibits

Beginning in February 2014, the zoo will be closed every Monday for maintenance and to provide a quiet day for the animals. If Monday is a holiday, the zoo will be open but will be closed on another day in lieu of the holiday.[10]

The Ragunan Zoo is a popular weekend destination for Jakarta families
Komodo dragon in Ragunan Zoo

The main attractions of the zoo are its animal exhibits. These may be grouped as follows.

  • Reptiles

Turtles and Komodo dragon are well as the crocodile in this zoological garden

  • Mammals

Primate cages house several kinds of langurs, gibbons, and macaques, while gorillas and orangutans are located in the Schmutzer Primate Centre.

Small mammal compounds display raccoon, binturong, beaver, Asian palm civet, Java mouse-deer, Javan porcupine. Other mammals on display such as babirusa, llama, eland, camel, Arabian oryx. Ragunan also hosts carnivore large cats such as leopards and tigers. The cage of Sumatran tigers, black bear, and sun bear located on southeastern end of the zoo near the lake.

  • Birds

The pool with pelicans and swans, located near the entrance. Several large aviary and smaller bird cages host the zoo's bird collection, including Javan peafowl, Javan hawk-eagle, brahminy kite, white-bellied sea eagle, crested serpent-eagle, Bali starling, Sulawesi hornbill, palm cockatoo, common hill myna, crowned pigeons, cockatoos, and pheasants. Large birds such as cassowary and ostrich are displayed in separate compounds.

  • Open ranges

The river valley located on the eastern side of the zoo provides natural landscape of wetlands, swamp, and river environment that features crocodiles and gavial The eastern open plain recreates the savanna environment with various kinds of deers such as the rare Bawean deer, muntjac, sambar deer and wild buffalo including anoa

  • Other animals

Other popular animals on display are hippopotamus, white tigers, Banteng, and proboscis monkey

Other attractions

Special attractions for the children include a Children's Zoo, playground and rides, along with the Sunday events of pony cart and boat rides on Ragunan lake.

References
  1. "Zoos and Aquariums of the World". waza.org. WAZA. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  2. Dina Indrasafitri, 'Ragunan zoo: Not so rosy', The Jakarta Post, 5 October 2010.
  3. However as is the case with other zoos in Indonesia, there is sometimes local criticism about the management of the zoo and whether animals are cared for in a proper way. See, for example, Corry Elyda, 'Visitors feel pity for Ragunan Zoo occupants', The Jakarta Post, 28 June 2013.
  4. Welcome to the Ragunan Zooligal Park Archived 2011-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Out & About: Ragunan Zoo: A gem in careless hands". Jakarta Post. 26 January 2010. Retrieved 2011-02-16.
  6. Ninis Chairunnisa (September 21, 2014). "Ragunan Zoo Mulls Safari Night".
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-10-30. Retrieved 2005-10-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Taman Margasatwa Ragunan Pecahkan Rekor Jumlah Pengunjung". January 1, 2015.
  9. Linda hairani (February 1, 2015). "Ragunan Zoo Set to Become International Standard Zoo in 2018".
  10. "Ragunan to give animals weekly day off". January 29, 2014.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.